Topic: What was your all time favorite Christmas present?

[Terry in Australia]

Well the big day is drawing near and I was thinking about what has really stuck out in my 47 Christmas' as the best all time Christmas present that I've received, and you know what came out on top?

One year I got a neat little pop gun in the shape of a double-barrel shotgun when I was about 6 or 7, then another year I got a gun that fired ping pong balls (lasted about an hour before it was "whisked away" never to be seen again, after I gave my big brother a face full........) and then my first air-rifle when I was probably 11 or twelve.

This was great, my Dad set up a "shooting gallery" in our garage which worked fine to stop unwanted projectiles showering the neighborhood, except for when I let my older sister use it, and she managed to put two holes thru the cement sheet walls, a good 6 feet above the target, ha ha! I've obviously had bigger, more expensive presents since then, but to tell you the truth, I don't remember them.

How about you guys? Think back and try to remember something you've been given for Christmas, no matter how big or small, (and obviously it doesn't need to be bike related) and tell us all about it? Merry Christmas!

[seaweb11]

A set of K2 fiberglass Snow skis......

The 1st set of K2's in Vancouver EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!.....My dad had been on a business trip in the US
Remember, before that every one had wood skis

I was a 14 year old mountain hot rod at the time 
How my old man knew those skis would make me a movie star on the mountain that year may never be known.

Thanks for the reminder Terry.  Good days

[mattcb350f]

I got given my first flight lesson from my parents when I was 13 years old. That has to be my most memorable gift since it also kicked off my career in aviation.

That flight was the first of many entries in my now nearly full log book  

 Matt.

[333]

Had to be my one and only bicycle.  My parents didn't want to buy more than one, so "the one" was way too big for me.  It was too big for training wheels(26" wheels), but I had learned on someone else's bike.  It had blocks on the pedals, so I could reach them, but still couldn't reach the ground.  This was back in the 60s, when, here in the U.S., we had milk delivered to galvanized boxes sitting outside the back door.  After placing ours, and the neighbors across the street in just the right place, I could stand on these boxes to get on and off the bike.  We lived at the top of a hill.  The first time down ended in my first "high speed get off", and I can still see the scar on my knee today.  And because of the large diameter wheels, and my lack of weight, it was probably 2 years before I could pedal it up the hill.

But I rode the S out of that bike.  Around 7th grade or so, a buddy and I rode out to Dulles Airport, about 16 miles one way out a highway dedicated for airport use only.  Cops were different then as well.  There was no signs, but we weren't supposed to be on that road on bicycles.  Nobody stopped us on the way out, but coming back, we got stopped twice.  Basically, both cops said "just be careful, and don't do this again".

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

I'd have to say my brand new Daisy pump BB rifle my dad got me when I was maybe 8. Later that Christmas day he had to track down a friend of his to skin and dress the neighbor's squirrel. That musta been the nastiest thing I've ever eaten !! That small round indention with cracks going up and downward on the skull between that squirrel's eyes sure made me and dad proud. Sure miss him (not the squirrel). Been gone 39 years. 
 

[Retro Rocket]

Ok, this is probably going to sound really corny but the one thing that i get, happens every Christmas, its the time i get to spend with my wife and kids without the stresses of work and general life that i value the most. The look of surprise on their faces when they open their gifts the traditional lunch and just the whole day in general,{see, i told you it was corny  }

Merry Christmas to you all...

Mick

[Steve F]

When I was a kid, my dad surprised me with one of these:
http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/5847351
Way cool, since it was self propelled, and had a winch that worked, and a blinking light on the roof.  Came with a plastic pickup truck that you could tow around.  I had tied about 10 feet of extra string to the winch and would raise things from downstairs up to the upstairs balcony.  Countless sets of batteries went through that thing 

[tramp]

1978 got out of the navy in san diego at noon on dec 22
arrived home north of detroit 6pm on the 24th just in time for dinner
the trip was made in my 1975 cj5 jeep
60mph nonstop by myself never turned the motor off till i made it home

[Caaveman82]

My favorite Christmas present of all time was my daughter Scarlet. She was born on December 22nd of 2005. We were able to bring her home on Christmas day. When we got home I flipped on the TV to TBS where they were having their traditional "A Christmas Story" marathon, 24 hours of Ralphie. She layed on my chest and we watched that movie for 10 hours straight. Didn't actually watch it the whole time, we both kept falling asleep. That was probably the best Christmas of my life too.

[okie]

I was 5 years old.  I wanted an electric train.  I was really disappointed when I discovered that that big box had a stupid bicycle in it, instead of a train.  With NO prior experience, I got on the bike, rode it out into the street, down to the corner, turned the corner, couldn't stop turning, hit the curb, busted my lip on the curb.  See, I KNEW I should have gotten a train.   That bike gave me more freedom and fun than I had ever imagined existed.  I learned to ride it with no hands on the handlebars.  I learned to ride it sitting backward on the handlebars.  Yep, I got lots of skinned knees and elbows, but they were all worth it.  Sometimes I believe my motorcycles are nothing more than an old man's version of that "stupid" bike I learned to love so much 55 years ago.

[333]

That reminds me, how could I forget the train?  My Dad and his best friend stayed up all night Christmas Eve one year to built it on a 4 X 8 framed plywood bed.  It was HO gauge, with a double oval that, over the years, became more extensive with about 12 sidings and a turntable.  I miss that layout, probably because I know it's still alive.  I sold it to the guy I bought my first street bike from (CB450 K4).  I saw him a few years ago, and he won't sell it back to me.

[gerhed]

In 1956--I think I was the last kid on the street to get an "english bike".
Which meant it had 5 variable speeds--no deraillers (sp?) yet.

[Johnie]

I was 5 years old.  I wanted an electric train.  I was really disappointed when I discovered that that big box had a stupid bicycle in it, instead of a train.  With NO prior experience, I got on the bike, rode it out into the street, down to the corner, turned the corner, couldn't stop turning, hit the curb, busted my lip on the curb.  See, I KNEW I should have gotten a train.   That bike gave me more freedom and fun than I had ever imagined existed.  I learned to ride it with no hands on the handlebars.  I learned to ride it sitting backward on the handlebars.  Yep, I got lots of skinned knees and elbows, but they were all worth it.  Sometimes I believe my motorcycles are nothing more than an old man's version of that "stupid" bike I learned to love so much 55 years ago.

Okie...did you ever get that train??? 

[Artfrombama]

On Sunday night my parents and myself would have dinner at the All-Steak. A local upscale restaurant that is kinda well known.
Across the street (US hwy. 31) was a Western Auto. After dinner my Dad would be in a heavy BS session with someone and smoking (it was the 60's). I would walk across the street and look at the bikes in the window of the W.A.
Up until then, my bicycle was an 18" with solid tires. I didn't pick it out but was totally satisfied with it until I rode Eddie Turners 20" bike with air-up tires. Was like riding on a cloud.

In Western Auto one Sunday night I saw the most beautiful bicycle I had ever seen in my life. A 26" Western Flyer, red metallic and silver, streamers on the handlebars, whitewall tires, etc.
I asked my parents about it, my Dad who passionately hated to turn loose of a dollar looked it over and made a comment to the effect of; Do you know how long it takes me to make $42.00? That's a LOT of money.
Darn!
The next week it was gone, my heart was broken.
Little did I know my Dad had already bought it. It was under the tree that Christmas morning.
I have a picture that my Mom took of me and the new bike. 32-tooth grin!

Great memories!
Mom and Dad are long gone but will live forever in that moment.

[okie]

Yes, I got the train the next year.  I even got to play with it about 2 o'clock on Christmas afternoon (after all of the BIG people in the house got tired of playing with it).   I also still have a bicycle and I regularly ride it backward.

[Demon67]

The best gift I ever had was late for Xmas, it was the first year I was in R.C.A.F. and I was in Camp Borden in Ontario, I had no place to go for Christmas, Vancouver was to far away, anyhow came the 23th and and I got a call from my parents and yes you expect the worst but what they said was that there was a parcel with my present in it had I got it yet. No, so I went booting off to the mail room and the idiot in charge didn't want to speak to me, said come back tomorrow so next morning at 9 I was there same idiot said nothing in from the coast, come back later, so come 4 o clock just before they closed back again idiot says no and I say but it was sent a week ago express post ( this was back in the days when you could get mail from Vancouver in a day, day and a half across Canada) idiot says bugger off before I put you On Charge ( #$%* list) so Christmas eve their is me in a 500 man Barracks and no one else, so off to Christmas dinner I think their was about 20 of us from all the different courses, back to the barracks nothing, Christmas day mail room closed, Boxing Day mail room closed, next day mail room is open trudge off to it new guy on counter says no I don't think so,  I went into my spiel and then started out the door he yells at me wait a minute and pulls a huge box off the top shelf he says the box had been there for a few days before Christmas and he thought that it was for some one that had gone home, I whooped and the idiot looked around the doorway so I thanked the new guy, muttered #$%* at the idiot and lugged the box back to the barracks, it was huge, tried to open it in the barracks couldn't it was one of the old mans legendary wrapping jobs had to find some one with a knife, finally got it open, My God the goodies, Cookies, Cakes, jams, cheeses, crackers, my all time favourite Baba Rhums Jesus I had more friends drop in for the next few days even the stuff I couldn't stand ( my mother was famous for things like pickled walnuts) some would pick up on it,  the stuff was great I still remember it after 50 years, it was like being dropped in a french pastry shop in Paris with money and a chic to translate. Did I ever meet the idiot again, no, even though I hoped, may he roast over a slow fire in what ever circle of hell devoted to hot.
Bill the demon

[DollarBill]

I was twelve, the youngest of 6 and still checking all the presents under the tree to try and figure out what was what.  Christmas day came and there was a new box under the tree...a long rectangular one with my name on it.  My oldest brother had bought me a pump BB rifle and I was in heaven.  A couple presents later I find that my second oldest brother had bought me a BB pistol...the spring kind that looks like a .45.  It was the most AMAZING Christmas ever.  Not for the squirrels and birds!  My cats learned to follow me into the woods because it meant that I was going to feed them.

I was always lucky to have such great siblings.  My first bicycle was one that my third oldest brother bought me and my oldest brother also bought me my first motorcycle when I was 15.  It was a Suzuki SP400 and it had power for days.  You could also break your ankle trying to kick it over.  It's good to be the youngest!!!

Merry Christmas all and thanks for sharing all the memories.

[Johnie]

Fun stories to read guys.   I have 3 special presents that I recall.  One is a Lionel train set that I got in the early 1960's and I still have it and it works.  Then there was the Tiger Joe Army Tank with remote control.  This present was so big it was hidden behind the couch.  I thought, "no Tiger Joe this year."  Then my Dad reached behind the couch to lift it out still in the bag.  Last was a Daisy BB gun rifle.  I had that for only a short time as it was taken away when I shot a friend in the butt.  Funny thing about that BB gun...after my parents took it away they forgot where they hid it.  Now this was in 1965.  30 years later when they were moving from their home it was found in the rafters of the basement ceiling.  So I still have that Daisy gun and the story to go with it.  The pic below is of my son when I set the train set up for him about 15 years ago.  Merry Christmas to all...

[78CB750CAFE]

Christmas 1981

[736cc]

 In 1966 an Aurora H.O. electric slot car set was "it" for a 9 year old kid and his older brother.
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[mrbreeze]

I'm sure most of us went through good years as well as lean.I had my share of both over the last 51 years. While I can remember alot of cool presents when I was a kid........the coolest that comes to mind was from my mom 2 or 3 years ago. I wanted to get the bed on my Toyota Tacoma Line-Xed and it was like $400.I couldn't afford it at the time and she couldn't either but she got me a gift certificate for half of it. Things were crappy for the following year(job-wise) and I couldn't come up with the cash to match the coupon and then I got this great idea. I cashed in the coupon and sent it to Terry for an oil cooler!!!! So thats what I got from my mom a few Christmas's ago!!!!

[mark]

In 1966 an Aurora H.O. electric slot car set was "it" for a 9 year old kid and his older brother.

I got an Eldon 1/32 set a couple years later.

(helmets not included)

I'd take 'em out and play but the dam tires are petrified and have absolutely zero traction.

 

[bill440cars]

      Well, up until I started having problems with him, I thought that my brother (born on the 29th of Dec, was the best "almost" Christmas Present that I had ever gotten. I was so happy to have a little brother. I did things with him, took him places and made things for him. I was even the one who named him. You see, my Mom & Dad couldn't agree on a name and my Dad said, let's see what Bill can come up with. So, I said "well, my best friend's name is David and ( at the age of 10yrs old) I had this fascination with Robert E. Lee and picked Lee as the middle name." My Dad said, "David Lee Van Pelt, not bad." "I like it" and my Mom liked it, so, it was used.

        Didn't intend to be a downer here.  If you all don't mind, I'd like to tell my most memorable Christmas experience.  You see (in our family) when you reached a certain age, you went from buying for everybody, to being in on the name drawing and buying for one (other than buying for my Mom, Dad & Brother). Before I was allowed to be in on the name drawing, I would go to the "Five & Dime" (as we called them back then) and get a package deal like ballpoint pens or some such and wrap each individual one for each of my gifts to give out. Wasn't much of a gift (as I look back now) but they always made on over them.